Witch Blade
Mage Slayer
Hydra's Breath
Orb of Venom in Dota 2: who buys it, when it wins and what it costs
Kevin · Dota2Arena · updated Oct 28, 2026 · numbers live from our scannerOrb of Venom costs 350 gold and shows up in 2% of ranked matches. Players holding it at the end win 35.2% of their games across 34,505 inventories, most often on Tusk and Venomancer. It wins most in the late game (38.9%) and least in the mid game (33.5%).
What Orb of Venom does
Passive: Poison Attack
Poisons the target, dealing 12 magical damage per second. Lasts for 3 seconds.
- Does not stack with its upgrades.
Who buys Orb of Venom
The share says how many games of a hero end with Orb of Venom in the inventory, the win rate is that hero's win rate in exactly those games. A high share with an average win rate means the item is standard on the hero; a low share with a high win rate means it is a situational pick that works when it is needed.
| Hero | Share of games | Win rate with it | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tusk | 3% | 38.6% | 2,666 |
| Venomancer | 2% | 41.0% | 2,366 |
| Spirit Breaker | 0% | 43.6% | 1,787 |
| Ancient Apparition | 1% | 40.6% | 1,715 |
| Jakiro | 1% | 40.5% | 1,401 |
| Bounty Hunter | 1% | 41.9% | 1,291 |
| Sniper | 0% | 27.7% | 1,271 |
| Ogre Magi | 0% | 41.8% | 1,256 |
When to buy it
Win rate by match length tells you in which kind of game the item pays off. Items that win short games are usually bought early and snowball; items that win long games are late-game purchases or things you buy when the game is already going well, so read the number as "games with this item at this length" rather than as advice to rush it.
| Phase | Match length | Win rate | Games |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early game | under 25 min | 33.7% | 1,994 |
| Mid game | 25–40 min | 33.5% | 21,788 |
| Late game | over 40 min | 38.9% | 10,745 |
What to combine it with
These items sit in the same final inventory as Orb of Venom most often (based on every 4th match). Boots and other staples appear on almost every list; the interesting entries are the ones specific to this item.
| Item | In the same inventory | Cost |
|---|---|---|
 Arcane Boots | 33% | 1,500 |
 Power Treads | 24% | 1,400 |
 Aghanim's Scepter | 19% | 4,200 |
 Blink Dagger | 16% | 2,250 |
 Phase Boots | 13% | 1,450 |
 Dragon Lance | 11% | 1,900 |
 Spirit Vessel | 9% | 2,725 |
 Boots of Speed | 8% | 500 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Orb of Venom good right now?
In our window Orb of Venom ends up in winning inventories 35.2% of the time across 34,505 ranked games, below the 50 % mark. It does best in the late game (38.9%) and worst in the mid game (33.5%).
Which heroes buy Orb of Venom?
Tusk (3% of games), Venomancer (2% of games), Spirit Breaker (0% of games), Ancient Apparition (1% of games), Jakiro (1% of games). The highest win rate with it belongs to Spirit Breaker at 43.6%.
How much does Orb of Venom cost?
Orb of Venom costs 350 gold and has no recipe; it is bought directly from the equipment section of the shop.
What does Orb of Venom build into?
Orb of Venom is a component of Witch Blade (2,775), Mage Slayer (3,100), Hydra's Breath (5,900).